The In-Between Bits of Blue Moon Canyon
by tr0mb0ne2
Summary: In which Nancy Drew and Frank Hardy meet again under the most perfect of circumstances; on a train headed to find the mine of the infamous Jake Hurley. Romance ensues.


"I just don't like how you're away all the time! I never get to see you, we never go out or do anything together, and yet we've been dating for a whole year! And now, just as we're coming up on that special anniversary, you decide to tell me that you're going on a trip somewhere? Without me? Don't you think that's kind of ridiculous?" He said. She stared at him as he unraveled upon her. His short brown hair hadn't been done up slightly with gel yet, and remained flat on the top of his head. His eyes looked frustrated, his hands sort of fidgeting with one another. He didn't know where to put them, but he knew he certainly couldn't put them on her. Not now at least. Not while he was trying to make a point. He couldn't let himself get lost in her while he was trying to argue, then she would just win, like she always did, and things would never change.

"Ned, this is a once in a lifetime opportunity!" Nancy said, raising her hands to attempt to convey how important this was to her. "I get to go on an old fashioned steam train! With two other detectives. I haven't seen them since we were just little kids! I won't get another chance to do something this amazing-" She was cut off by him as he raised his hand in an attempt to silence her. Her smile faded and her hands lowered to her sides again. He obviously didn't get it. He didn't understand. As per usual.

"Nancy, you say that every single time you go somewhere. Whether it be to Venice or just a small town on the east coast. You say you'd never get to do something as amazing as that ever again. But what about the things we do back here? When we finally do get to see each other? Is that not amazing to you? Because it is to me." He looked incredibly cross with her, and for once she couldn't really stand up to that glare, or his words. Her back hunched slightly and her olive eyes trailed down to the floor below them.

"Oh, Ned, I didn't mean it that way. Not really. It's just that… Here, it's just so…" She looked back up at him as she breathed in. His eyes stared down at her, still angry but anticipating her response. "Normal." She finished. His gaze turned to slightly confused. He shifted around in his stance, not used to being so overbearing.

"Normal? What's wrong with normal?" He said, half talking to her, and half talking to himself. He looked over at her desk, where her journal full of her past cases lay. He looked back at her. "Am I… Boring to you?" He said, as if realizing something. His eyes went slightly wide, his brows furrowing in a mix of anger and bewilderment. "Is that what it is? Is that why you're always so eager to leave? Do you find this place dull? Do you find me dull?" Her jaw hung open as she stared at him. She wasn't sure if she knew the answer to that question. Did she find him dull? Was that why she often avoided hanging out with him and dove into her work instead? Was that why she forgot about their anniversary? Did she not love him? It didn't make any sense; they had been together for a year, so surely she must feel something for him… Right?

"Ned, that's not what I'm saying-" She began, reaching out to touch his shoulder. But he jerked himself away from her, catching her off guard. He raised a hand to his head, and ran it through his hair, trying to grasp just how long it had taken her to answer. She had to think about it. She had to think about if he was boring or not. He began backing away from her. "Ned! Where are you-"

"I know what you're saying, Nancy. I get that I'm not some handsome, crime-fighting guy who always lives on the edge. I get that I've never traveled anywhere in my life and that I'm nowhere near as cultured as you and your friends are!" He held his hands up as a sarcastic drawl dripped into his tone. "Have fun on your trip." He said as he reached down to take hold of the door handle. "Don't call me." He shut the door hard behind him as he left, making Nancy jump a bit. She stared at the door for a moment, still not fully believing that he had actually just left. She swallowed hard, and looked over at her bedside table, and saw her framed photo of her and Ned at the fall fair last year, arms around one another, smiling widely. She quickly walked over to it and pulled it down so that she couldn't see the picture. She took a deep breath to calm herself down, then simply went back to packing.

"I'm sure she'll be here soon, Joe. You need to relax." Frank said, crossing his arms across his chest as he looked around the train station. He didn't even know what she would look like. The red hair was a dead giveaway, but he was sure her face would look different than it had been when she was 12. Joe tapped his foot impatiently as he also scanned the crowd for her. He was always anxious like this before going on a trip, and he never liked to be late in regards to cases. As lazy and scatterbrained as he was, he took work related things very seriously.

"But what if she's not? What if the train leaves without us? What if we came all the way out here for absolutely nothing? What if Nancy is different than she used to b-" Joe began to ramble, but his brother simply stopped him by raising a hand in front of his face.

"Relax." He repeated, staring at him. Joe nodded and took a deep breath, running a hair through his blonde hair. A group of people that were standing close to them parted for a red-headed girl in a light blue dress. She smiled around at them, thanking them for letting her pass, before beginning to walk towards the two brothers. Her little suitcase was in her one hand, swinging as she gracefully approached them. Her hair bobbed with her motion, and the dress, pushed by the draft in the station, hugged her tightly, especially with the belt done up around the middle of it. Joe smiled in relief, happy now that he knew that she was here, and they wouldn't be late. Frank simply stared at her, mouth open ever so slightly, his dark brown eyes stunned to see the beautiful woman in front of him. Who, before now, had still been a little girl in his head. Now, that was clearly not the case.

"Oh my goodness! I haven't seen you two in so long!" Nancy said happily, gingerly setting down her suitcase and running over to hug Frank. He stood there, in shock, for a moment, before raising his arms to reciprocate. Joe snickered as he watched the exchange.

"Yeah, it's been awhile." Frank said, being careful that his voice didn't accidently crack or something and ruin this whole moment. She let go of him and gave him a smile before moving to hug Joe. Joe continued to watch his brother as he hugged Nancy back. He winked at Frank before pulling away.

"It's good to see you again." Joe said, smiling down at her as she bent down slightly to pick up her suitcase. He looked over at Frank to see him staring blankly at her, making him chuckle to himself a bit. Nancy straightened herself up and brushed her dress off before walking over to them again.

"You two got much taller." She laughed gleefully as she looked up at them, using her free hand to push hair behind her ear. "And your voices are so much deeper! Goodness, this is so crazy!" Joe laughed while Frank simply smiled as he looked at her.

"We can continue listing the differences between prepubescent Frank and Frank now on the train, though there aren't many of them." Joe winked at her and she giggled a bit, while his brother glared at him. "But seriously, we should get moving. Just in case." He said, picking up his own duffel bag and throwing it over his shoulder.

"Sounds good to me." Nancy agreed, nodding and taking a step towards the old looking steam train awaiting for them next to their platform. Joe looked back at Frank as he quickly picked up his bag and jogged forward to join her. Joe chuckled and followed the two of them to the entrance.

"Oh please, Joe, you don't think that a ghost actually took her, do you?" Frank said, bewildered as he stared at his brother seated beside him at the main table in the dining car. Nancy's gaze shifted over from Frank to Joe, one of her brows arched in confusion. Joe threw his hands up in the air, frustrated that he wasn't being heard.

"That's not what I mean! I mean that something could be afoot here! This can't just be her doing, Frank. It was freaky! The lights went out and everything was shaking and… What if it's one of the guests? What if someone here has some grudge against her? Or what if it really is a gh-" Frank cut him off, saying, "It's obviously just a publicity stunt. She's known to do these kinds of things." He looked over at Nancy, who had her arms crossed over her chest as she quietly listened and observed. It pushed her breasts up just slightly, just enough for Frank to notice. He attempted not to stare. He didn't want to be rude.

"What do you think, Nancy?" Joe said, looking over at her eagerly. She looked between them, relaxing her arms and setting them on the table. She leaned forward slightly, adjusting the way she was seated as she thought up an answer.

"I agree with Frank." She said as she straightened herself up once more. "She's done stuff like this in the past. She faked her own kidnapping once, just so she would get in the headlines. This seems like a classic publicity stunt, just like you said." She gestured to Frank, who smiled proudly at her approval. "But nonetheless, I should explore the train other than the sleeping car, and talk to the other guests, ask them if they've seen anything." She rambled, more to herself than them, and stood up. She smoothed down the skirt of her dress. "I'll check back with you both later." She smiled and began to walk out of the dining room.

"Report back to us if you find anything!" Joe called after her, and she raised her hand in acknowledgement as she slipped through the doorframe into the bar car next door. Frank and Joe listened as she began to speak to Charleena Purcell, who was still typing away at her laptop, like she had been doing ever since Lori had vanished. Joe immediately looked at Frank with a frustrated look on his face. Frank smiled back at him, still pleased. "You're just all giddy because she agreed with you on something." Joe grumbled, crossing his arms. "You know, I think my theory is more valid anyways. It's not like you're a credible source. You were staring at Nancy the entire time Lori was talking. You didn't even notice something was happening until all the lights went out and your view was ruined." He whispered.

"Joe." Frank hissed, glaring at him. "That's not true and you know it." Frank could feel his cheeks begin to heat up. He avoided Joe's accusing gaze and looked over at the door frame instead.

"I think it is true, _Frank_." Joe smirked knowingly, leaning in for added effect. "It's not like you have had a crush on her since you were twelve." He snickered. Frank became even more flushed, and mustered up a sidelong glare directed at his brother.

"I have not had a crush on her _since_ I was twelve, Joe." He corrected, scowling slightly. He tapped his long fingers on the table cloth, and they made a soft sound as they landed. His nails were cut short so that they weren't an issue for him when working, and his palms had slight callouses on them. Sometimes their job required them to go climbing, or work with their hands quite a bit. But he certainly didn't mind it. He was very skilled in a lot of area, albeit not so confident in his ability occasionally.

"But you certainly did have a crush on her when you were twelve. And for a few years after that, you talked to me about how much you missed her." His tone was half mocking, half amused. "And now, she's finally here. And you finally have a chance. But…"

"But what?" Frank asked, obviously listening now. Joe chuckled and sat back in his seat.

"She has a boyfriend." He replied, shrugging his shoulders slightly. Frank's eager expression drained from his face incredibly quickly. He looked as though he had just been slapped in the face, and he felt like it too. He sighed and looked down at the table. Of course she had a boyfriend. A girl as beautiful as her could probably have anyone she wanted. He wasn't really surprised to hear this news, just a little disappointed. And yet… It felt silly to have even been hopeful in the first place. He hadn't seen her in so long, she probably barely cared about him, barely remembered him from before. She was way out of his league anyways, at least in his head she was. He had no chance with her, as she was probably perfectly happy with whatever attractive, rich boy from River Heights that she had decided to go steady with. He leaned back in his chair and looked over at Joe.

"Why would I care if she has a boyfriend or not?" He lied, scoffing a bit. Joe stared at him for a moment, pity in his eyes. Then he shrugged and nodded to himself, and went back to looking in some of the books they had pulled from the shelves. Frank did the same, trying to get lost in the words on the page rather than in the image of the beautiful red-haired detective in his head.

After Lori was finally found by Nancy, she returned to the dining car, satisfied with the amount of snooping she had accomplished that afternoon. She sat down next to Joe at the table in the dining car, pulling out her cell phone. "Have you guys found out anything on this train at all in the books?" She asked as she set it down on the table in front of her, as if she was waiting for someone. Frank assumed she was waiting for her boyfriend to call her, and frowned slightly as that thought ran through his head. He hoped they weren't annoying or touchy, like some couples were. He hoped that her boyfriend wouldn't come and pick her up at the station. He just didn't want to see them together. How rude of him to think like that. He barely knew her anymore, and he had no right to claim her as "his" in his mind. He was being stupid. She was making him stupid.

"Not really, to be honest." Joe replied, glancing over at Frank, who was still staring at the table. "We've just been sitting here doing squat while you actually went out and found Lori. What kind of detectives are we?" He laughed a little bit as he shut the book that was in front of him.

"What about you, Frank?" Nancy asked, looking over at him. He jerked his head up at the sound of his name. She smiled as she looked at him. He had really grown up, more than his brother. Although he had been already quite tall when they were twelve, he was now most certainly taller, and he had filled out the body. His dark hair was somewhat messy but in a way that was endearing, and his dark eyes seemed to convey that he had been caught off guard by her question. He cleared his throat before speaking.

"Embarrassingly enough, no. Clearly you're better at this than we are." He said, smiling at her nervously. Joe rolled his eyes at the compliment and looked away. Nancy laughed a bit. It sounded like the melody of two perfectly tuned bells chiming.

"Thanks, but I'm sure that's not true." She said, rubbing the back of her neck sheepishly. "You two work much more in the field than I do." She added, tucking hair behind her ear.

"Then join ATAC. You'll get a ton of work out in the field. And we'd maybe get to see more of you. You could travel the world constantly, Nancy!" Joe said excitedly. Nancy smiled back at him, but it faded quickly. She looked down at her lap as she fiddled with her hands.

"Nah. I think it'd be a bit much for me." She replied, shrugging her shoulders slightly. Joe shrugged his shoulders, but Frank continued to urge.

"Something holding you back?" Frank asked, leaning forward in his chair. The train car rattled ever so slightly, making the chandelier chime as the pieces of crystal collided with one another gently. Nancy looked up, seeming a bit startled by this. But Frank kept his focus, still looking at her. "Family? Friends? Boyfriend?" He continued when she looked back at him. Upon hearing the last word, her calm demeanor seemed to falter, and part of her top lip went up in a strange, uncomfortable scowl. Then her face returned to normal.

"My dad definitely keeps me there. And so do my friends, especially Bess and George." She said, tapping her foot gently on the carpeted floor. "But I don't have a boyfriend." Frank looked over at Joe with a confused look on his face, while Joe seemed surprised. He glanced at his brother and shrugged slightly, knowing he had been in the wrong previously. Frank felt a surge of energy come over him and he smiled ever so slightly.

"That's alright. Me neither." He joked, shrugging his shoulders. Nancy giggled just a little bit as she looked across the table at him.

"See, it's funny because Frank is actually looking for a life partner of the male gender-" Joe began, leaning forward. Frank smacked his arm and shook his head. Nancy covered her mouth to keep herself from laughing any further.

"That's not true, Nancy. I'm looking for a life partner of the female gender." Frank assured her, making her raise a brow in a joking, skeptical manner. Joe smirked and shifted his chair just slightly farther away from Frank before saying, "One that's on this tra-" He hadn't thought about how long Frank's legs were, and he received a well deserved, hard kick in the shin by one of his brother's boots. Nancy chuckled and shook her head, only half paying attention to their antics, and began flipping through a book of photography that neither Frank nor Joe had looked at yet. Frank was relieved she hadn't heard the end of that sentence, and shot Joe a threatening glare. Joe simply shrugged his shoulders like he often did, and went back to looking inside a book.

That evening, the three of them returned to the sleeping car and slipped inside their rooms. Nancy gave them a sweet, parting smile before shutting her door behind her. Joe groaned as Frank continued to stare at the door after she was already gone. "I don't like you like this." Joe said, grabbing his arm and pulling them inside their sleeping car.

"Like what?" Frank said as the door was shut behind them. Joe rolled his eyes and went to sit on one of the single beds that was in the room.

"You're all dreamy when you're around her. It's annoying." He replied, pulling off his jacket and throwing it on the floor. Frank instead folded his jacket neatly and put it on the floor near the end of the bed.

"No, I'm not." Frank said, oblivious. He grabbed his duffel bag and pulled out a t-shirt and pyjama pants, then set them on the bed next to him.

"Yes you are. Like, I get that you've been in love with her for 6 years but-" Joe began.

"That's not true. I haven't seen her in the last six years. And, how can you be in love with someone you never see? I had a little crush on her when I was 12. Big deal. We all have meaningless crushes on people when we're little. You had even more than I did." Frank argued.

"Yeah, because mine actually were meaningless. But you talked about Nancy constantly for a solid year after we met her." Joe replied. "About how good she was at picking locks, and how she knew all this stuff about history, and how she always corrected you on your grammar even though you thought you were _so_ good-"

"Sounds more like a mentor than a romantic interest to me." Frank said, rolling his eyes.

"Exactly! I think the reason why you had a crush on her in the first place is because she was the one person who was better at you in things. That and you found her really pretty." Joe said thoughtfully, looking up at the ceiling of the sleeping car.

"Well, she certainly is really pretty now." Frank said, looking over at the wall that separated their two bedrooms. Joe chuckled as he watched his brother, who he hadn't seen so gaga over a girl since… Well, since Callie. But he didn't want to bring up Callie now, whom Frank wasn't still in love with, but still mad at. He supposed it wouldn't be so bad if he put some kindling into this fire. If Nancy didn't have a boyfriend anymore, then it would be fine if she and Frank…

His thoughts were interrupted by a knock on the door. Frank sighed a bit, figuring it would be Lori or something checking on them and making sure they were fine with their room. She was really making an effort to be a good hostess, but it was clear that she didn't actually care. He stood up and approached the door, then pulled it open. He was surprised to see Nancy standing in front of him. She hadn't changed yet, and was holding herself somewhat awkwardly. She didn't feel comfortable knocking on their door after they had already said goodnight to one another, but she did need their help. It wasn't like she was going to go ask Tino Balducci to come into her room late at night and help her with a lamp. "Oh, hey Nancy. What's up?" Frank smiled happily at her. Joe peeked over at the door from his spot on the bed, wondering what was going on.

"My lamp isn't working, so I can't really see. Could you help me out? Or, happen to have a flashlight I could borrow?" She asked him, smiling nervously. Frank nodded and looked back at Joe, who wiggled his brows.

"Yeah, I can take a look." Frank replied. "I'll be back in a second, Joe." He said as he exited the bedroom. Before he shut the door, Joe called, "Take as much time as you need!" Frank rolled his eyes and walked to the next room over and through the door.

She had been right. It was dark in the room without the lamp on, and the dim light coming from the hallway wasn't really enough to see the far end of the room. He squinted and walked over to the side table, where he ran his hand along the wood to find the cord. First he checked the switch, and flipped it on and off, to find that nothing was changing. Then he checked if it was plugged in or not, which it was. But he knew Nancy wasn't dumb enough to make that mistake. He frowned as he thought about it. Then he reached inside the lampshade and twisted the bulb. In an instant, the room was illuminated, and he smiled as he looked back at her.

In the warm light of the bedroom, she looked more beautiful than ever. Her red hair looked slightly darker, the slight freckles on her face more prominent, and her white, straight teeth smiled back at him as he gazed at her. "Thank you. I can't believe i didn't think of that myself." She laughed sheepishly as she rubbed the back of her neck. He chuckled a bit.

"It's no problem. You've done a lot of work today already. You're probably just tired." He began heading to the door when he saw the contents of her suitcase already opened on her bed. She had probably done that when they had boarded. "Cat's Eye? By Margaret Atwood?" He asked as he picked it up and smiled.

"Yes. But I'm only halfway through it, so no spoilers please." She said, smiling and sitting down on the edge of her bed. He chuckled set it back down amongst her things.

"Knowing you, you've probably already got the ending all figured out." He said, crossing his arms over his chest. She smiled and shook her head as she looked up at him.

"Remember we used to challenge each other by reading the first halves of books and then seeing who could figure out the ending?" She giggled a bit. Frank rolled his eyes and said, "Yes. And you always won." She laughed and nodded, looking pleased with herself. He smiled at that, and his eyes trailed away from her and to the floor.

"It's been quite awhile, Nance." He said softly. Her smile faded ever so slightly, and she awkwardly coughed. She nodded in agreement. "I barely recognized you in the train station this morning. I mean, the hair, but… Everything else, not so much." He chuckled a bit, somewhat sadly.

"Well, I barely recognized you too!" She said. "You're even taller than before, and your hair isn't just a buzz cut anymore, and your voice is so deep, and you're also so…" She put out her hands and performed a motion he didn't recognize. He arched a brow in confusion. "Muscly. It's crazy." She finished. He blushed a bit and chuckled msheepishly.

"Well, most of the work I do now requires me to work out." He smiled a bit. She nodded in understanding. "If you joined ATAC, you could do the same, you know." He shifted around on his feet as he looked down at her. She chuckled a bit and twirled some hair on her finger. Every mannerism of hers seemed to mesmerize him, and he didn't understand why.

"You and Joe seem very persistent about getting me to join. Did someone from the agency put you up to this, or do you just miss me?" She joked. Frank blushed a little bit, but before he could come up with some excuse, she continued. "I've already told you both. My dad is in River Heights. And ever since my mom died…" She trailed off. He frowned. He remembered her telling him this when they had sat in his room, when they had been so much younger. He remembered her crying. He remembered holding her close. He sighed very slightly. "I feel like he's lonely when I'm away. Maybe that's not the case, but if I worked with you guys, I'd travel even more than I already do. And I think that would be hard for him."

"I totally understand. Don't feel any pressure to join. We just… Know you'd make a great addition." He said as he looked down at her. She smiled up at him and said, "You really think so?"

"Of course! You're intelligent, resourceful, a great detective, so I've heard in all the news stories." He chuckled. "I'm sure you'd be good undercover if you tried it out. And I know you're a quick learner, so if you don't know absolutely everything, you could pick it up easily." He rambled. Hearing all these great things about her come from his mouth made her cheeks pink. "But I understand that River Heights is your home. And travelling can be hard sometimes. Trust me, sometimes I'd rather be in bed, in my room in Bayport, doing absolutely nothing. But then I remember that I love this. That it's fun. And then I just keep going." She nodded as she looked up at him.

"You're very passionate about this, Frank." She told him. He chuckled a bit and nodded, sitting next to her on the bed.

"Well, you're very passionate about what you do too. So we have that in common." He said, looking at her. She smiled over at him.

"Not everyone understands it, you know? It's tough to have to be away from home a lot to do the things you love. But not everyone has that, so sometimes they don't get it. It really bothers me quite a bit." She said, looking down at her hands as they fiddled with one another in her lap.

"I sense that you're talking about someone specific." Frank said, looking down at her, slightly concerned. "Care to share?" She swallowed, and looked back up at him.

"My boyfriend got very upset when I left for this trip. That's why I assume there's now an 'ex' in front of his title." She said, sighing. "He was mad because I forgot our anniversary, and I was mad because he didn't understand how important this was to me. He assumed I found him boring, and I couldn't fully say no to that. So he just left." She ran a hand through her hair. Frank watched her with a frown of his face. Whoever this guy was sounded kind of stupid. But he supposed that not everyone understood the life and feelings of a detective. Frank knew that detectives could remember a detail from a case five years prior, but not their wife's birthday. They could remember the face of someone in a car through a tinted window, but they couldn't remember what their son's middle name was. Frank had witnessed that with his father, and he saw it in himself. He supposed he wasn't surprised that Nancy was the same way.

"I'm sorry, Nance. But if he can't understand that, does he really deserve you?" Frank asked, continuing to look down at her. Nancy arched a brow, urging him to explain a bit more. "If you're really serious about this whole detective thing, which I know you are-" Nancy nodded eagerly in response. "Then you have to find someone who understands you and what you do. You need someone who won't be offended if work gets in the way of your relationship, which it will, a lot. You need someone who will treat you right when you get home, and someone to be faithful to you when you're away. And I know it sounds kind of impossible to find that perfect person. But a girl as beautiful as you _deserves_ that person." Nancy's mouth hung open ever so slightly as she looked at him. He was right, wasn't he? She did deserve that person, she wanted that person badly.

"So...Someone like you?" She asked innocently enough. Frank's eyes went wide as he looked down at her, and he opened his mouth to say something. But he was interrupted by a knock on the open door. The both of them whipped around to see Joe standing there, already in his pajamas, leaning against the doorframe.

"I know I said that you could take as long as you needed, but I'm tired and I want to sleep. So can you please hurry up?" He whined, making a pouting face.

"Can't you go to sleep without me in the room? Do you need me to tuck you in or something? Is that what it is?" Frank said monotonously. Nancy stifled a giggle by putting a hand over her mouth.

"No, of course that's not what it is. You still have to get changed, and so I could start sleeping and then you'll blunder in and turn on the light, and then make a ton of noise while trying to get into your pyjamas when you actually think you're being quiet. And then I'll do something stupid because I'm mad at you, like throw my only pillow at your head. And then, I'll have to get out of bed to get my pillow because I _know_ you won't do it for me-" He rambled.

"Okay Joe, we get it." Frank interrupted. He got up off the bed and looked down at Nancy. What had that meant? He longed to continue the conversation so badly. "Goodnight, Nance." She smiled back up at him and said, "Goodnight, Frank." He smiled back at her before reluctantly leaving the room with Joe.

When they returned to their bedroom, and Frank got ready for bed, Joe turned the light off and settled into his covers. "So, what did you two talk about?" He asked, looking over in the direction of his brother's bed, despite not being able to see him.

"Oh, nothing." Frank lied, shutting his eyes and pulling the blanket up to his chin. Joe snorted, knowing it was a lie, but also knowing that he wasn't going to get anything more out of his brother. The both of them slowly drifted off as the train moved it's way along the tracks towards Copper Gorge.

"I have to go to the graveyard to find Camille's crypt. There could be clues as to where the mine is located there." Nancy told her friends in a quiet tone as they stood just outside the door of the taffy shop. The fall wind blew her hair around her face in a wild halo of red, and she was now wearing tight jeans, a green long sleeved shirt, and a grey jacket, unzipped. She looked as beautiful as she always did, so effortlessly too. But Frank was trying his best to be more focussed today, so he attempted not to watch her too much.

"Frank could go with you." Joe suggested with a big smile on his face. Frank looked at him, seeming surprised, while Nancy nodded and smiled.

"Sure. It'll be fun." She looked up at Frank, a wide smile still on her face. He laughed nervously and nodded in agreement. "C'mon. We've got a bit of a hill to climb." Nancy told him, beginning to head off in the proper direction. Joe gave his brother a little shove forward.

"You're welcome." Joe grinned knowingly. Frank simply gave him a nod of respect before he jogged forward to catch up with Nancy.

"Thanks for coming with. I didn't really feel like doing the hike alone, to be honest." She laughed a little bit, looking up at him. He smiled down at her as they walked. He could go much faster than he was now, but her legs were shorter than his, and he couldn't just leave her in the dust.

"No problem." He replied, shrugging his shoulders and looking ahead of him. They continued on without talking for awhile, with Frank growing more nervous after every second of awkward silence.

"You know, I was thinking about what you said last night." Nancy said as they walked, their boots already dirty after only five or ten minutes of walking in silence. Frank glanced back at her, surprised to hear her say so. "And you're right. I really do deserve someone that gets me. And Ned just…" She shook her head. "He's a sweetheart, but I don't think he can handle this. I don't think he can handle me in this career. And I don't know if I can handle him being unsupportive. Unless he decides to turn over a new leaf, I shouldn't… Do this to myself. You know?"

Frank nodded in understanding, repressing the urge to smile at this new chance he had with her. "Well, I'm glad you've figured things out. It never feels good to be confused." He said, steadying himself on a tree as the hill grew slightly steeper. "Especially regarding your romance life."

"Do you have a girlfriend, Frank?" She asked him abruptly. Although he didn't know it, she was just confirming what she had already heard. He looked back at her yet again, surprised to hear her asking. He simply shook his head, and she smiled slightly. "Alright." She nodded to herself. He arched a brow, feeling confused as to why she had asked, and continued on walking.

They made it up to the graveyard eventually, and the wind up their whipped at their hair. It was times like these where he missed his buzz cut. Nancy and him made it inside after a rather odd exchange with a groundskeeper. Then they walked towards Camille's crypt with the key in hand. Inside, as Nancy investigated, he stood near the door, watching her as she worked. She really was quite the focussed human being. It was very admirable, very attractive. His last girlfriend had been beautiful, but she never had this intense drive that Nancy had. Nancy was one of a kind, she could never be replaced, she was just… Probably the most attractive person he had ever met, and not just physically.

"Frank, could you come over here and look at this?" She said, snapping him out of his haze. He nodded to himself and ran over to join her in the corner of the crypt. She was looking at the paper, which she had already shaded over the four pillars. "This is so incredibly clever!" She smiled happily. He chuckled and looked down at it.

"But, what does it mean?" He asked, looking up at her. Her olive eyes met his dark brown ones, and he could see her smile.

"I don't know. But, I'll figure it out." She replied, still looking into his eyes.

"You're good at that. Figuring things out." He noted. "But I'm not as good as you are, so, I was thinking you could help me figure something out." He added, leaning against the wall as he looked down at her.

"Yes." She said, almost immediately. She clutched the piece of a paper to her chest and tucked her pencil behind her ear. He crossed his arms over his chest as he looked down at her.

"What did you mean last night when you said 'someone like you' after my long speech about finding the right person?" He asked. She tensed up a little bit, and shifted around on her feet.

"Well, I mean, you kind of fit the description of the person you described. I'm not sure if that was intentional or not, but, I mean…" She trailed off and looked away from him for a short moment. "You understand me and what I do. You wouldn't be offended if work got in the way of our relationship. We have similar interests. I had a huge crush on you when I was a kid. Everything in the past combined with the things that you said last night would lead to the most logical conclusion of…" She looked back at him. "Me going for you." He stared at her, confused and utterly taken aback. He didn't know how to respond. He didn't know whether to kiss her, or respond in a more calm, logical way. "Sorry, does that not make sense? I thought about this quite a bit last night, but now I'm tired, and I'm worried it came out wrong. I'm sorry. This is kinda weird."

"No, it's not weird. It makes sense." He nodded to her. "As you said, that would be the most logical course of action. You just caught me off guard, that's all." He added, swallowing hard.

"Why does that catch you off guard? I mean, didn't you know that I liked you when we were young? Didn't you see that you fit that exact description?" She laughed a little bit. "I mean, seriously, Frank. There was always something between us, wasn't there?" She got closer to him and his hands fell at his sides as he stared at her. This had to be a dream… Right? "Like, if we hadn't been so young, or if we had seen each other more, or if we hadn't found other people, that it would be us right now. In another universe, in another time, it would be us. Do you feel that?"

Frank continued to look at her. She seemed to be having some sort of epiphany with this whole speech. Her thoughts flowing out of her so quickly, that even she was amazed by them. "Well…" He interjected, silencing her. She looked up at him, alert and listening. "Why can't it be us in this place, in this time?" He asked softly.

The move to kiss each other seemed to be a mutual one as Frank moved forward slightly to grab her by the hips, and she leaned close to hold his shoulders. Her lips tasted of the peppermint tea that had been served to them this morning, and he relished in it. He had dreamed of this for way too long, and now it was finally coming true. Although he hadn't imagined it in a crypt, he was the happiest he'd ever been. Her thin fingers slid up and into his hair, where she held him as her lips moved against his. It had started off somewhat gentle, but clearly that wasn't where she was taking it. He felt her one hand slip away from his head and run down his neck, to his shoulder, to his arm. She guided his hand down just slightly further, to her ass.

Being the gentleman he was, he had been waiting for permission to do that, so he was perfectly happy to move his second hand along with his first. He could hear her make a sound resembling giggling as he gave it a squeeze. He couldn't help but wonder if Ned had held her like this. Probably, as her boyfriend she would want him to. But he tried not to dwell on Ned any further. What mattered now was that _he_ was the one kissing her, and not him.

Yet he felt like this was so wrong. They were in the presence of a body long dead, making out like the stupid teenagers they were. And he wouldn't give this up for anything.

He didn't even realize Nancy's hands were fiddling with the hem of his shirt until they actually slipped underneath it and fell against his abdomen. They were cool, making him shudder slightly, but he was fine with them there. He never thought she would touch him there. He never thought she would touch him at all. He was suddenly more aware to all the feelings and sensations of the moment. The stone wall of the crypt dug into his back. She was pushing him against it, holding him there, as if she was afraid he would leave.

She had absolute control. How fitting.

But he knew he had to make some moves too. He couldn't let her think that he didn't want this just as much as she did. His tongue poked at her lips, and she parted them willingly as she ran her hands up his chest. They were smooth, and it calmed him somewhat. This was a touch he wished he could wake up to.

Maybe in the future, he would.

He felt her hands moving down to his belt, and she began to undo it. He sputtered and pulled his lips back. "Nancy?" He said, looking down at her hands. She awkwardly looked up at him, smiling nervously. "Why are you taking off my belt?"

"Oh, goodness, I'm so sorry. I got a little bit over excited. Okay, maybe more than a little bit." She giggled, looking up at him. "It's just that I've never had a kiss like that. And it was fun." Frank looked surprised as he held her by her hips now, his brows raised and his brown eyes wide.

"Not even with Ned?" He said, clearly confused. Nancy simply shook her head.

"We barely kissed, to be honest. And nothing even close to what you and I just did." She said, still smiling giddily. "Oh, I really did enjoy that Fr-"

"I thought after a year you two would've… You know." Frank thought out loud, looking shocked still. Nancy chuckled a little bit and shook her head yet again.

"Ned's waiting." She shrugged slightly. "I didn't really have any desire to wait, but it's his choice." She added. Frank stared at her, bewildered. How could someone wait when they had a girlfriend as ravishing as Nancy? He had nearly fucked her inside of a crypt, which would be by far one of the craziest things he had ever considered doing. But she would be worth it. Just the chance to be with her like that, especially for her first time- "Have you ever done it?" She asked, innocently enough. Frank blushed, looking sheepish.

"Yeah, uh, with my ex." He said awkwardly. Nancy nodded and asked, "Callie?" He looked up at her, mouth hanging open.

"How did you know that?" He asked, looking confused. Nancy smiled sadly and looked down at the floor for a moment.

"Joe told me about the fact that you had an ex girlfriend. 'Just in case you were wondering if he was single.' Was what he said." She said, looking up at him again. Frank rolled his eyes.

"Of course Joe had to tell you that I was available." He groaned, hanging his head low. He felt one of her hands touch his cheek and bring his eyes to look into hers.

"He may seem annoying but he means well. You and I both know that." She reminded him. Frank smiled slightly and nodded in agreement. Her thumb trailed over his lips and he stayed silent, just letting her hold his face as she was. It felt endearing, something he wasn't used to. But something he wanted to get used to. With her.

"We should get going." She reminded him, sighing softly. She pulled her hand away first, and then the rest of her went. He missed the touch almost instantly, and frowned slightly. He fixed up his belt as she gathered her things. They left the crypt behind, and headed back into town, no longer talking about the kiss, but thinking about it the whole way down. Each yearned for another. But now just wasn't the time.

"As soon as the train started up again, we noticed you were gone-" Frank began as he walked on one side of Nancy down one of the corridors in the sleeping car. Joe was walking on the other side, and he interjected, "Frank got up and called the engineer, and he had to stop. But he was so damn slow, since he didn't want us to get whiplash or whatever-"

"So we got out and started running towards where we had last stopped, and we got there quicker than everyone else did, I guess-" Frank somewhat bragged, as he opened her door for her. She nodded in understanding as she looked between the brothers.

"And then we found you, and Lori's sorry ass in the mud, of course." Joe added with a cheeky smile and a happy chuckle. This made Frank smile as well.

"My heros." She said, turning and looking back at them. She gave them each a happy smile, showing off those perfect teeth of hers. Frank gazed at her dreamily. How could someone nearly die and flash a smile like that? She was one hell of a woman, that's for sure. "Although I would love to continue chatting, I'm not feeling that great. Is it okay if I have a nap?"

"Of course." Joe said, flashing her a huge grin. "C'mon Frank, quit gawking at Nancy and let her get some rest." He grabbed his brother's arm and began leading away. Frank's cheeks became heated as he heard Nancy giggle and shut the door after they had gone.

"Not funny, Joe." Frank said, shoving his brother off of him and into their room. Joe laughed and steadied himself quickly, smiling and saying, "Well, I thought it was pretty funny." Frank simply rolled his eyes in return, and went to go lay down on his bed. He picked up one of his many books from his duffel bag and began to read it, while Joe opted for a magazine instead.

Later that evening, the both of them listened to Nancy coughing away in the other room. Frank didn't know if it was because she was sick, or because she had sustained some sort of injury today. Either way, he was very worried. Joe frowned as he looked over at the wall, and saw his brother already looking in the same direction. "Someone should go check on her." Frank said, looking back at Joe.

"You, Frank. You should go check on her." Joe winked at him. He didn't have to say it twice. Frank slid out of bed and began hurrying towards the door. "Don't catch her cold though!" Frank didn't even pay attention enough to roll his eyes at the poor joke. Instead he walked to the room next door and knocked gently. He heard the coughing halt.

"Nance? It's Frank. May I come in?" He asked her, leaning against the door, biting his lip a bit. He heard some shuffling around, and then her hoarse call, "Yeah!" He opened the door to find her laying in bed, head propped up with a few pillows. She looked to be wearing a white coloured nightgown with thin straps coming over her shoulders. Her hair was messy from sleep, and her makeup was removed. She looked like an angel out of a dream, to him at least. He opened his mouth to say something but stopped when she beckoned him with one of her hands. He walked over to her bed.

"Are you feeling alright?" He asked her in a soft voice as he got closer. When he was within reach, she took his hand in her own.

"Yes. I think I've just come down with a cold." She said, shrugging her shoulders slightly. He stared down at their joined hands, chewing at his lip a bit. "If it's not too much to ask, can you stay with me?" He looked up at her again, a slight smile on his face.

"Of course I can." He replied. She slid over slightly in the bed, and said, "It'll be a tight fit, but I'm sure we can make it work." He chuckled a bit and got under the thin coverlet with her. She felt warm as she cuddled up against his body, throwing a leg over him. It was clear that this nightgown wasn't very long by the feeling of her bare leg brushing against his hand. He took a deep breath as he looked down at her face. He had to focus more on that rather than her body. Now would be the worst time to get a hard on.

Or the best time. If she was up to it.

"So, we'll be home by tomorrow morning." Frank thought aloud, looking up at the ceiling. Nancy made a small noise, nuzzling her head against his chest.

"What about it?" She asked tiredly, coughing just a little bit. He sighed a bit and shut his eyes for a moment.

"Well, when we get to the station, Joe and I are going to be headed back to Bayport. And you're going to be headed back to River Heights. And for all I know, you and I won't see each other for another six years." He said softly. "But… I don't want you to disappear from my life. Not again. Not after kissing you today." He opened his eyes, a determined expression crossing his face. Nancy moved to prop herself up on her elbow so she could look at him.

"Well, I don't want that to happen either." She said, frowning slightly. He gazed up at her as she spoke. "But, I can call you. And now that we're out of school, maybe I could visit you. Or you could come to River Heights sometime." She smiled hopefully. "You can meet my dad again. And we could go on an ice cream date or something. I know a really good place in town-"

"So, you really would want to go steady with me?" He said dreamily as he looked up at her. She smiled down at him, and reached a hand out to touch his cheek. He leaned into her hold, trying to save the moment in his mind like something as important as a case detail. This, although unrelated to work, was far more thrilling than any mystery he'd ever encountered.

"In the future, of course." She smiled down at him, pulling her hand away. "After a few dates, I think that would be the appropriate course of action." Frank chuckled at her professional tone, and shook his head a little bit.

"You are quite an odd girl, Nancy Drew." He told her, a wide, goofy smile on his face as he looked up at her. She looked cross with him until he added, "I wouldn't want you any other way." She cracked a smile and blushed slightly. She bent down to press a gentle kiss on his lips, and he let his eyes flutter shut. He tried to map out the memory of the feeling of her lips on his. For, as hopeful as he was that all of this would work out, Frank was always one to prepare for the worst.

When she pulled away, she returned her head to lay on his chest. "Goodnight, Frank." She whispered as she shut her eyes and breathed in deeply. She needed her rest, especially if she was getting sick, and he understood this. Anything less innocent than kissing would have to wait for another night that would hopefully come in the future.

"Night, Nancy." He whispered to her. She smiled upon hearing his voice, even though he couldn't see her from his angle. He reached over to the bedside table and flicked off the lamp before shutting his eyes and relaxing his head back on the pillow.

About an hour later, Joe rose from his bed, a frown on his face and tiredness in his stance. He walked over to the next room, and opened the door. Inside it was dark, and he had to squint to see the image of his brother lying on the bed, asleep, with Nancy basically on top of him. Joe's brows raised upon seeing this, but a smile grew on his face right afterwards. He punched the air very slightly in a motion of joy and accomplishment, mouthing "Yes!" to himself. He backed away and carefully shut the door before returning to his quarters, the big smile remaining.

As the lined up with their baggage at the door of the train, Nancy smiled back at Frank and Joe. "It was great to work with you both." She said. Joe beamed back at her, running a hand through his blonde locks.

"It was wonderful to work with you too!" He replied eagerly. "We should do it again sometime soon. I'm sure that Frank would really like that. Right?" Joe nudged his brother with his elbow, waking him up out of some sort or haze. Frank jumped a bit and nodded along with whatever Joe was saying, though he wasn't really clear on what that was. Nancy giggled as she looked back at him. He cracked a smile when her eyes met hers. But the contact broke when the train's door opened. Nancy faced forward and began walking with the rest of the group out to the platform. After the rest of the passengers departed, the boys and Nancy made it off. That was when she stopped dead in her tracks.

Frank bumped into her, not expecting her to stop so suddenly. Then Joe proceeded to bump into him, making a noise of discontent as he did so. "Frank, there are other people getting off. You can't just do that." He grumbled, brushing himself off. Frank looked back at him, appearing confused, and said, "I only stopped because Nancy did."

"Well, why?" He asked, stepping to the side so he could see past his brother. "Oh, it's Ned! Hey Ned!" He waved, a big smile on his face. The man standing in front of them on the platform waved back awkwardly. He was wearing a blue, collared shirt tucked into nice looking pants, and a brown, long coat pulled overtop. His brown hair was sticking up with gel, and he had a kind looking face, with cheeks somewhat rosy. Whether it was from the cold or another reason, Frank wasn't sure. He was holding a bouquet of what appeared to be daisies, and he had a hopeful smile on his face.

"What are you doing here?" Nancy asked, seeming confused as she approached him. He held the flowers out to her and she stared at them. She frowned and looked up at him. "What are these for?" He sighed a bit and dropped his arm at his side.

"I thought about everything while you were away. It was really dumb of me to be so rude and close minded. I know that your work is really important to you, and I need to learn to be more respectful of that. So, I'm sorry." He said, looking up at her. He looked guilty, clearly, so he definitely understood the mistake he had made. Nancy chewed on her lip a bit as she looked at him. Frank, however, wasn't staring at Ned, but the back of Nancy's head, waiting to hear her answer. He felt the huge weight of dread hang over him. She was going to forgive him, wasn't she? She was going to forgive him, and never call Frank like she had said she would. She was going to forget their kisses, and everything they had said to one another. He took a sharp intake of breath as he heard her speak again.

"I'm sorry too, Ned." She told him, smiling sadly. He nodded in understanding, straightening up again. Frank swallowed hard, and looked away from the both of them for a moment. Joe glanced at him, sensing something was wrong, and somewhat knowing what it was. But he didn't know the full weight of the situation, like Frank did.

"We should get going. My car is waiting in the lot. And you can tell me all the details on the way home." Ned smiled at her, scratching his head with his free hand. Nancy nodded, still smiling at him, before saying, "Just let me say goodbye to Frank and Joe first." He nodded and stepped back a bit. Nancy set her suitcase down next to her boyfriend before turning to look at the brothers.

She ran to Joe first, wrapping her thin arms around him in a tight hug. "Goodbye Joe!" She said, a smile on her face. He chuckled a bit as he hugged her, patting her on her mid-back. He leaned down and talked in her ear, saying, "Try not to almost get yourself killed on the next one, alright?" She pulled away from him, laughing happily and nodding in agreement with him. Then, she turned to Frank.

He was standing there, hands at his sides, face unreadable, to most at least. She bit her lip as they made eye contact. She could clearly see that he was upset, whether it was with her or about something else, she couldn't tell. She swallowed as she approached him, quickly looking back at Ned. He was messing around with his cell phone, not paying attention to the exchange. Then she looked back and at Frank, and stood on the tips of her toes to gently wrap her arms around him. He shut his eyes as she kissed his cheek, close to his lips. "Goodbye, Frank." She whispered to him as his eyes fluttered open to look at her. His mouth hung open slightly in shock and confusion.

"Bye, Nance." He murmured, looking into her eyes, still trying hard to remember them as best he could. She let go of him and turned away. She bent down down to pick up her bag, and looked back at them one last time with a melancholic smile on her face before taking Ned's arm and beginning to walk away. Frank watched her disappear into the crowd of people, disappear from his life for the second time. He sighed ran a hand through his hair, shaking his head.

"Is something wrong?" Joe asked, looking over at him. Frank turned his head to look at his brother, who looked worried for him. He sighed once more.

"I have a lot to tell you."


End file.
